Destiny
by prongs378
Summary: Harry's final year at Hogwarts. Who will he end up with and how will it end?
1. Leaving the Dursley's

Chapter 1: Leaving the Dursleys  
  
Harry Potter took one last look around the room he had lived in for the past six years. Before he left, he decided to have one last try at a civil goodbye. The Dursleys seemed about to explode when they heard that Harry's friends were all coming to get him. They hated anything and anyone connected to the wizarding world.  
  
Harry walked out of the room giving it a glance as he walked down the stairs. Waiting in the living room were his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and cousin Dudley. They were watching every move he made. Dudley had thinned out over the past two years, making him look scrawny compared to what he used to be like, but he was still rather large. Uncle Vernon still had a huge, thick neck and body, and was now red in the face. And Aunt Petunia had a long, thin neck, same as her entire body.  
  
They all heard a car pull in front of the house and Uncle Vernon stared out the window watching as people kept climbing out of the car. First was Ron, followed by Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and then Mr. Weasley.  
  
"I guess I'll be going now," Harry said, picking up his trunk and Hedwig's cage. "Thanks for everything." Although it wasn't much, Harry thought.  
  
"You won't be coming back. Is that right, boy?" Uncle Vernon questioned.  
  
"You won't ever have to see me again. This is goodbye forever. Have a good life."  
  
Aunt Petunia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out and she shut it again. The three Dursleys stood in the doorway watching Harry as he greeted his friends.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione yelled, running and embracing Harry. "I've missed you! Are you excited about leaving the Dursleys?"  
  
"It feels weird. I mean, I hated it, but I've been living here for the past sixteen years of my life," Harry replied, shaking Ron's hand, and then hugging Ginny tightly. "Let's go before Uncle Vernon has a cow. He looks as if his ears are about to release fire." Hermione and Ron turned to face the house to see Uncle Vernon's face in the window, watching them closely.  
  
Mr. Weasley and George placed Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage in the trunk, allowing Hedwig to fly on ahead. "Kids! Let's go. Your mother will be expecting us soon," Mr. Weasley called.  
  
They all piled back into the car. Harry squeezed in next to Ginny and Hermione, noticing the looks Ron was giving Hermione. "Did you have a good summer, Harry?" Ginny asked.  
  
"It was alright. I'm glad to be with you though," Harry answered, smiling. "Are we going to Grimmauld Place?"  
  
"Yea, that's where everyone is. You should see the house. It looks great."  
  
Harry leaned closer to Ginny to whisper in her ear, "What's going on with them?" pointing to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"I'm not sure, but ever since Hermione came to Grimmauld Place, they've been acting really strange." Harry glanced over to see Ron staring openly at Hermione.  
  
Before long, the car pulled up in front of a row of old houses. Number twelve could not be seen from the street, at least not by anyone who did not know it was there or what it was used for.  
  
Mr. Weasley pulled Hedwig's cage and Harry's trunk out of the trunk with the help of Fred and George as Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny climbed out of the car as well. Harry looked up between number eleven and number thirteen and then number twelve popped in there as he was watching. They hurried up the porch and into the house.  
  
George levitated Harry's trunk upstairs and into the bedroom Harry had shared with Ron for the past two years. Fred did the same with Hedwig's cage. Harry walked slowly from the foyer into the kitchen. On the way he noticed the portrait of Sirius' mother was no longer hanging near the door, covered in drapes, but a new portrait was there. This was a special one that Harry knew he would always remember. The picture was of Lily and James, holding a baby Harry in their arms and Sirius in the background. They were beaming down at Harry and he couldn't help but smile as he looked up at them. It was good to know his parents and Sirius were watching over him.  
  
Remus Lupin walked over to Harry and placed his hands on his shoulders. "This was one of the only pictures left at your house when it was destroyed. I had kept it until now, but I decided this was the best place for it. Especially since, once you turn seventeen it will be your house. Sirius would love for you to have it, that is if you would like it," Remus explained.  
  
"I do want it, but it will still be headquarters for the Order, right?" Harry asked.  
  
"Of course. I know no place better," Remus replied, smiling brightly.  
  
The two walked into the kitchen to find Molly Weasley waving her wand around while pots boiled and steamed, and the oven beeped. The table looked as if it were set to seat twenty-five people.  
  
"O, Harry dear, you're here!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, running over to Harry and pulling him to her chest. "How are you, dear? Did those muggles give you a hard time?"  
  
"They were fine. Ever since you all talked to them on the platform, they have not given me a hard time. I even got fed well and I was allowed to do whatever I wanted," Harry explained. He felt a lot happier than he had in days. Although he was not sure why, but he knew it had to do something with the people around him.  
  
Harry turned and saw Ron, Hermione, and Ginny enter the kitchen, followed closely by Fred, George, Mr. Weasley, and Lupin. They were eyeing the food hungrily. "Why are there so many place settings? Are we expecting more people?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, Bill and Charlie are on their way over here. They've been waiting for you to get here. And Moody and Tonks are coming and some other people from the Order. Dumbledore might show up too," Mrs. Weasley answered. "Dinner won't be ready for awhile though, so go on upstairs and wash up." 


	2. Confessions

Chapter 2: Confessions 

Harry and Ron headed up the stairs to their bedroom, followed closely by Hermione and Ginny. Once they reached the platform for Harry and Ron's room the girls climbed again to get to their rooms. "So what's going on with you and Hermione?" Harry asked, "Anything I should know about?"

"I really like her Harry, but I'm scared to tell her. What if she doesn't feel the same way?" Ron questioned.

"From the way things looked between the two of you in the car, I'd say you have nothing to worry about. I think she fancies you, mate," Harry answered.

"Well, you think I should ask her out sometime?"

"Definitely, but soon."

"Okay, I think I will. Now I just have to work up the guts to actually do it," Ron replied.

"You haven't stopped staring at Ron the entire way from Harry's aunt and uncle's house. Is there something between the two of you? Or are you all of a sudden interested in everything he says?" Ginny asked Hermione when they reached their room.

They collapsed on the bed, Hermione saying, "Well, I think I might like Ron. I know it probably sounds weird to you since he's your brother, but I really like him."

"Really? I always thought you liked Harry. I never would have guessed it would be Ron."

"Harry is only a friend, my best friend. Plus, I think he may be taken, although he doesn't know it yet," Hermione answered, winking at Ginny.

"What are you talking about? I don't like Harry if that's what you're trying to say. He's my brother's best friend, nothing more."

"I see the way you look at him, and he's always protecting you. He never lets any guys come by you. He's even worse than your own brothers."

"You think so? Okay, I'll admit it. I've been infatuated with Harry since I first saw him on the platform when I was ten. But I always thought it would go away. I never realized that he might actually like me too."

"So tell him. Let him know how you feel."

"Maybe I will. And why don't you take your own advice and tell Ron how you feel? It'd be better than wandering around trying to ignore the fact that you like him."

"Fine. Let's both let the guys we want know that we want them," Hermione stated confidently.

The girls walked downstairs to find the guys walking out of their bedroom. Hermione nudged Ginny, glancing between Ginny and Harry. "What?" Ginny asked.

"Well, are you going to do it? Talk to him," Hermione whispered in her ear.

"I don't know. I don't think I can," Ginny answered.

"Just do it!"

"Harry," Ginny said, directing her gaze towards Harry, "Would you come out back with me? I think Hermione wants to talk to Ron _alone_." Ginny emphasized the last word loudly, then smiling at Hermione, bounded down the stairs, Harry right behind her, giving Ron and Hermione a glance as he left.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked.

"Hermione had to talk to Ron about certain feelings she's been having."

"Did she tell you she liked him?"

"Yes, but she's afraid that he doesn't like her. I told her that he does because of the way he's been acting around her, but she doesn't believe me. Do you know anything?"

"This is great! He does like her. He's been telling me all day that he wants to ask her out, but he's too scared to too. Do you know what this means? I'm glad they finally figured out their feelings for each other."

"Me too. I've been telling Hermione to just tell him how she feels, but she won't."

"I know what you mean. I would be scared to tell someone that I liked them and then them not like me, but I would still want to tell them. Just so I know that I did what I could," Harry explained.

_I wonder if he's hinting at anything,_ Ginny thought, _He's pretty much telling me that he would want to know if someone liked him. Should I tell him how I feel?_ Ginny looked up at Harry, smiling.

"Harry, there's something I need…"

"No Ginny, me first," Harry interrupted, "I've liked you for so long. I always look forward to spending time with you more than anyone else."

"Harry…"

"No, let me finish. I have to say this. Ginny, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

"Are you asking me on a date?" Ginny asked, stunned.

Smiling, Harry answered, "Yes, the first of many."

"I'd love to go out to dinner with you. I like you so much, Harry. And now you've just made me so happy," Ginny replied, grinning widely.

Ron stared at Hermione as Ginny and Harry walked down the stairs. _There's something going on here that I don't know about_, Ron thought.

"What did Ginny mean by that?" Ron questioned.

"Nothing, she's just playing games. You have one crazy sister there," Hermione answered.

"Hermione," Ron started, "do you ever feel like there's something different between us?"

"What do you mean, different?"

"I don't know, just that something's changed."

"Ron, what are you getting at?" Hermione asked as Ron closed the distance between her and himself.

"This is what I'm getting at," Ron replied huskily, leaning into Hermione and kissing her briefly on the lips. "I've wanted to do that for so long, but I was never able to do it." Ron stood back waiting for Hermione to do something. _I'm going to get slapped,_ Ron thought to himself.

"I-I don't know what to say. Except, when can we do that again?" Hermione said. "Ron, I like you. And I have for a long time now."

"Hermione, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly. Ron embraced Hermione tightly, rubbing her back with his hands.

"What are we going to tell Harry? How is he going to feel now that we are together?" Ron asked.

"Something tells me we won't have to worry about that. I think he'll be pretty occupied himself."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let's just say, there's someone who wants to occupy all his time, and she's just too scared to admit it."

"Who? Not Ginny!"

"Of course it's Ginny! Don't you see the way they act around each other? They're meant for each other.


End file.
